Praise the Lord. I am truly glad you decided to view this message. This is a testimony that I want to share with you. I taught this lesson on a Saturday afternoon during this assembly that night around 11:30 p.m. my only sistered died. I really didn’t understand what God was doing in my life while I was teaching this lesson; however, that night I knew what it really meant to Let the Peace of God rule in your heart. I pray that this lesson is a blessing to all those that read it and apply it to your life. Whatever you do Let the peace of God rule in your Heart. Elder Melvin L, Maughmer, Jr.
“Let the Peace of God rule in your Heart”
by
Elder Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
Many people will say that we need to have peace with others, peace with ourselves, and most of all peace with God. The term “Peace of God” is often times passively tossed around in conversations as an informal gesture of good-bye. Some people will say may the peace of God be with you until the next time, but do they really understand the meaning or has it like so many others just become a phrase. Everyone talks about peace. Countries want it, Armies fight for it, and Political figures promise it. The alcoholic searches in the bottle to find it, the drug addict experiments hoping to reach it, and the prostitute sells her body dreaming to catch it. However, they never grasp hold of peace. There is the anticipation for world peace, everyone strives to achieve personal peace, there is the desire to acquire peace with relationships, but do we really know what peace is. Many different ideas of peace exist in the world today. Someone may say as long as I have money I have peace. Someone else may say as long as I have family I have peace. Someone else may say as long as I have health I have peace. These are wonderful explanations of peace; nevertheless, theses illustrations of peace are all examples of imperfect peace. Man often will try to find peace in many different avenues only to find that they are chasing something that they will never apprehend without God.
There is a story of a puppy and a big dog. The puppy said to the big dog I have mastered philosophy. I have learned that the best thing for a dog is happiness and that happiness is my tail. Therefore I am chasing it and when I catch it, I shall have it! The older, bigger, and wiser dog replied, “I too have judged that happiness is a marvelous thing for a dog, and that happiness indeed resides in my tail. But I have noticed that when I chase it, it keeps running away from me; but when I go about my business, it comes after me.” People oftentimes are like this puppy pursuing after peace for they misunderstand the meaning of the scripture in Psalms 34:14 “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it”. This doesn’t mean that we chase after peace like the puppy after its tail, but we pursue to be at peace with others and to be peacemakers. The Bible says in Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the sons of God.”
What is a Peacemaker? Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God: - Many people have a misunderstanding of this particular beatitude because they believe that it is referring to be peaceable or the keepers of peace; however, it is talking about the ones that brings peace to an un-peaceable situation. Understand that a peacemaker is not a characteristic but a responsible activity belonging to every Christian.
The Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 5:18-20 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God”. This is the ministry that every Christian has and that is reconciliation. Reconciliation is - to restore to friendship or harmony.
The Bible says in Mark 2:17 “When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Our job of reconciliation is to lead the lost souls back to God. When we lead the lost souls, sinners, back to Christ, then their souls are no longer suffer to be reconciled back to that status they had before the fall of man, this is the concept of a peacemaker.
The reward of a peacemaker is to be called a child of God. He is already a child of God when they are reconciled back to God. It is not his heritage that is in view, but his character. When people see you bringing peace, they notice the image and likeness of your father. The characteristic is of your father Jesus Christ, this is what needs to be seen so God my be glorified and not me. Peacemaker isn’t one that strives to achieve peace, but one that strives to cause peace between man and God.
Many people have asked the questions, What is peace? Is there such a thing has perfect peace? Where does peace come from and how can I have true peace? What must be done in order to have peace?
WORD STUDY
Let: - allow or afford the opportunity. It is making a conscious decision to grant permission to. Understand that the Peace of God will not forcibly take control, but you must allow it the opportunity to have control of you. If you don’t let it have control in your life, you will never obtain the Peace of God in your heart.
Peace: - the state of calm and quiet. This is man’s idea of peace.
Rule: - to govern; have control, guidance, to prevail. Requires submission.
Heart: - the Hebrew word is “sekvỉy”, pronounced sek-vee and is often translated as mind as stated in Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.” That’s why Romans 12:2 “Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, That ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
WHAT IS PEACE?
The dictionary says “peace” is the state of quiet or tranquility, freedom from disturbance or agitation, calmness. However, in the Bible the word “peace” comes from the Greek word “eireinei” and refers to a mental attitude of tranquility based on a relationship with God. Peace is the result of an individual’s correct response to the Grace of God (Acts 2:38). It is not something that we chase after and grab hold onto like the puppy, but we must correctly respond to the Will of God and based upon our response peace will follow or not.
In the Old Testament the meaning of the word “peace” referred to completeness, soundness, and well being of the total person and would be obtained only by following the law. Psalms 119:165 “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” It encompasses Physical security Psalms 4:8 “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.” Peace encompasses Prosperity and the absence of war 1st Samuel 7:14 “And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.” In the New Testament “peace” refers to the inner tranquility of those that believe on Christ our Lord. This was what was meant in Isaiah 9:6-7 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. Ephesians 2:13-14 “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall”.
The Bible uses the word peace in two ways, the personal peace with God which comes from repentance and the acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Then there is the “peace of God” which is given to those that believe on Him and actively participate in God’s plan. The peace of God must be experienced in order to truly understand what it is.
The Bible says in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”. My peace I give unto you. Jesus is the author of this peace; it is His peace, the peace of God. Not as the world gives do I give to you… We use to sing a song that said “This peace that I have the world didn’t give it to me and the world can’t take it away.” The world’s concept of peace is limited to the absence of strife, turmoil, and smooth relationships. Anxiety, depression, and confusion are non-existent. Man’s concept of peace is based solely upon outside forces. This ideological concept of peace will never be achieved because there is sin in the land and man will not be able within themselves to achieve peace because of this. First and foremost peace is contrary to the nature of man. Our true nature is embedded within our soul. The soul is the crux of all emotions, passions, desires, appetites, and it exercises mental faculties. It is the element that makes us cognizant of self and fashions our personality, strives to achieve social acceptance, personal gratification, and to maintain a certain image. It diligently and meticulously strives for prosperity and popularity, trying to reach often-unattainable expectations. Our nature is what makes us act the way that we do. Our nature is influenced by the worldly desires of the flesh. It is enmity against God; therefore it is impossible to achieve peace separate from God. Without God we are like that puppy chasing after peace never able to catch it. The Bible says in 1st Thess. 5:3 “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape”. Although man would say peace there could never be real peace without God. This type of peace would be an imperfect peace based upon ignorance because the god of this world has blinded the minds (sekviy = heart) of the people causing them to believe that all is well eventhough it wasn’t. Jeremiah 6:14 says “They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace”. This peace is an imperfect peace because to try to achieve peace without God is ignorant and temporary.
My peace I give unto you. This is the peace of God and is based upon the mind of Christ and is in no way influenced by outside stimuli. The mind of Christ was calm and undisturbed, not perplexed by the cares of this world. His mind wasn’t confused or filled with anxiety nor did he fear that His purpose or plans would fail. He is the epitome of peace. It is only through and with Him will we be able to achieve peace.
ILLUSTRATION
There was once a king who offered a prize to the artist that could paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them. One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace. The other picture had mountains too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rough angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest… perfect peace. The King chose the second picture. When asked why the King said peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. This is the real meaning of peace.
THE PEACE OF GOD IS PERFECT PEACE
This is the type of peace that God gives to His people. Isaiah 26:3 says “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee”.
Perfect peace is what God offers His people. It’s the kind of peace that dives into the depths of our inner most emotions and dispels our greatest fears and anxieties. It causes us to trust more and more in God regardless of the circumstances that come our way. It is not a promise that says there will not be trials and tribulations that come our way, but assurance that the disturbances within our souls are stilled. Perfect peace is perfect harmony reigning within. The Hebrew word “Shalom” has the idea of soundness of health. Perfect peace is being filled with the soundness of the soul. There is no room for jealousy, anxiety, depression, envy, strife, discord. Perfect peace is being in the midst of the storms of life and being like Jesus able to sleep because God keeps us in perfect peace Mark 4:35-40
Perfect peace is perfect in quality because it comes from the perfect source John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” Perfect peace does not, never has, and never will come from man. Man is not perfect and since he is not perfect how can something perfect come from imperfection.
Perfect peace is perfect in quantity because it will never run dry. John 4:14 “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life”. God has unlimited resources, no matter how many ask they can never deplete His resource. Though millions have come there’s still room for one.
Perfect peace is perfect in consistency. Hebrew 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever”. The same peace He gave Abraham when He told him to offer his only begotten son, He will give to you. The same peace He gave David when he was in the valley of the shadow of death is the same peace He will give to you.
PERFECT PEACE IS CONDITIONAL
This perfect peace although given freely to everyone will not be enjoyed by everyone. The gifts of God are without repentance. The Love of God is unconditional. However the promises of God are based upon each individual’s response to the Grace and Will of God. There is no place in the Bible that promises freedom from turmoil and strife in this natural life; nevertheless, we are promised perfect peace in the midst of all our trials and tribulations, but we must meet the conditions. Perfect peace is conditional.
Perfect peace is only for the righteous. Isaiah 48:22 & 57:21 says “There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked”. The wicked are those that go contrary to the Will and Grace of God.
Perfect peace is based upon our obedience. Leviticus 26:3-6 says “If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land”.
Perfect peace is based upon the proper mindset. Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee”.
When your mind is on Jesus, you forget about the troubles in your life and you enter into a realm of perfect peace. That’s why we sing the song sometimes “Get your mind on Jesus and let’s have church”.
STEPS TO ACQUIRING PEACE
There are several Biblical steps we must follow in order to achieve the perfect peace of God.
1.) The first step we must do is BELIEVE. Hebrew 11:6 says “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him”.
2.) The second step is to REPENT. Acts 2:38 says “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”. Without this step you will never achieve peace, this must be done in order to have a relationship with God. If there is no relationship there can be no peace. Remember the bumper sticker that was big some years ago, “No God No Peace, Know God Know Peace”. The word “Know” in the Biblical sense oftentimes means intimacy. In order for there to be intimacy there must first be relationship. Once you repent you begin a personal relationship with God then you will have peace.
3.) The third step is to be OBEDIENT. 1st Samuel 15:22 says “And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams”. When obedience is kept the rhythm between God and man is kept. Obedience equals rhythm. When our desires are wrong there can be no peace, when we do the things of the world, there can be no peace. Obedience is the rhythm of our will in conjunction with the Will of God which causes harmony in our souls which is peace.
4.) The fourth step is to develop a RELATIONSHIP. Relationship: - is the state of affairs existing between those having dealings with each other. In its broadest terms it simply means that one object has a connection or a correlation with another object. Philippians 3:10 says “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death”. Remember the word know means intimacy. An interpersonal relationship is based upon interaction between two people. WATCH THIS: Me and my friends have an interpersonal relationship based upon the Greek word “koinonia”, which simply means that we have communication and fellowship between the two of us. HOWEVER my wife and I have another level of interpersonal relationship, not based just on koinonia communication only, but established upon “dokime” which is experience and because of our experience we have a level of intimacy that neither of us have with anyone else because our relationship is built upon “dokime” experience.
5.) The fifth step is REST. When we think of rest we naturally think about sleep. However to rest in Jesus is a place of shelter, support, and comfort. Matthew 11:28-30 says “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”. Galatians 6:9 says “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not”. Philippians 4:6 says “ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”.
Colossians 3:15 says “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful”. We have studied up to this point what peace is, what perfect peace is, the steps to achieving peace, now let us look at the meaning of “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts.
“Let the peace of God rule in your hearts”
“Peace the Umpire of your soul”
According to Matthew Henry “Let the peace of God rule in your heart” is, God’s being at peace with you, and the comfortable sense of his acceptance and favour; or a disposition to peace among yourselves, a peaceable spirit, that keeps the peace and makes peace.
Let the peace of God rule in your heart is to govern, prevail there, or as an umpire decide all matters of difference among you.
I want to take that word umpire and explain what it means to let the Peace of God rule in your hearts.
An umpire is an official appointed to rule over plays. It is one having authority to decide finally a controversy or question between parties. One appointed to decide disputes arising under terms of a labor agreement. One appointed to decide between arbitrators who have disagreed.
An umpire first of all knows all the rules of the game. They know how the rules should be interpreted and applied in every situation. He thoroughly understands and knows how to apply the rules concerning interference, collisions, and obstructions and has the authority to award bases based upon the decisions they make.
Interference is an act by a fielder (the enemy) which hinders, impedes, confuses, or prevents a batter from batting. When the peace of God is the umpire of our heart everytime the adversary interferes with that peace that passeth all understanding, he makes a ruling that interference has occurred and awards (rewards) the batter (our soul). That’s why David was able to say “my soul shall make her boast in the Lord.” He understood that when the enemy tried to interfere with his peace that they would stumble and fall. Therefore since he let the peace of God rule in his heart he knew that he had never seen the righteous forsaken nor His seed beg for that he was able to say I will lift up mine eyes to the hills for whence cometh my help for my help cometh from the Lord.
Obstruction is the act of a fielder who impedes the progress of a runner. It doesn’t matter if the obstruction happened at first base, if the umpire believes the runner could have made it to 3rd base the umpire can award those bases to the runner.
When we let the peace of God rule in our hearts, it becomes the umpire of our soul, finalizing the controversy between the flesh and the spirit. When the flesh tries to interfere with the spirit and the waves of emotions begin to rise within us. It is the umpire (peace of God) that is ruling in our hearts and says peace be still (they’re safe). When the enemy comes in like a flood trying to impede our progress, it’s the umpire (peace of God) that raises up a standard against them and says peace be still (they’re safe). When the enemy tries to hinder our progress, it’s the umpire (peace of God) that says to us be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
SUMMARY
Peace is not being in a serene situation. It is not as the Wal-greens commercial says a place called perfect. It is not a life free from trouble, but peace is when in the midst of chaos we are able to say I still have joy after all the things I’ve been through I still have joy.
Peace is not pursuing after fortune and fame, prosperity and popularity, and believing that once you have it that you will have peace, because if you chase after it, it will never come. Letting the peace of God rule in your heart is simply allowing God to speak peace to your afflicted soul just as He did the winds and the sea. The turmoil, winds, and waves of our soul, distress and sorrows of our heart, and the adversities of our life must obey Him when He speaks peace be still. When we let the peace of God rule in our hearts He speaks peace and His voice quits the storm of sins conviction in our life, calms the troubled mind, and removes all doubt in order that His glory may fill this house. When we let the peace of God rule in our hearts He leads us through the darkest times in our life with the assurity that every thing is going to be alright. It is Amazing Grace that in the midst of life’s anxieties, pressures, evil, destruction, war, false accusers, backbiters, malice, murmuring, strife, jealousy, principalities, the rulers of darkness, spiritual wickedness, and reprobate minds that are determined to destroy our peace, that God’s promise to keep us in perfect peace prevails in our heart if we will just keep our minds (sekviy) on Him.
We must always remember that the peace of God will be the umpire of our soul if we allow it to be. It will fill our minds with thoughts of Him. It will give us the assurance the trouble doesn’t last always. It will provide tranquility of the mind releasing you from fear and worry. It will comfort you in times of sorrow. The peace of God will enable us to lie down and sleep in peace and safety. Psalms 4:8 says “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, o Lord, make me to dwell in safety.” David was letting the peace of God rule in his heart when he said in Psalm 23:4 “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil.” When we let the peace of God rule in our hearts we will be able, like David, in peace, to go through the valley of disappointment, the valley of sorrow, the valley of unemployment, the valley of sickness, and even the valley of the shadow of death., but we must be willing to let the peace of God rule in our heart.
The peace of God passes all understanding of man’s mind. You will never understand the peace of God by just reading it in some book. No preacher will be able to truly explain to you what the peace of God is. No CD or television program will let you know what the peace of God is. You must experience it for yourself because it truly passeth all understanding.
WILL YOU LET THE PEACE OF GOD RULE IN YOUR HEART?
Elder Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
Boanerge Ministries.
